Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-08
THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
"REMINISCENCES OF APPLE BUTTER
MAKING AND FLANNEL KICKING"

Two Popular Customs which Prevailed
the Apple Butter was Made-Fulling
the Home Made Flannel.
II have seen many newspaper accounts
recently of customs that prevailed among
the settlers away back, all Of them born
of necessity But there were two that
prevailed in Coshocton, the county in
which was raised, in the great old state
OF Ohio, that seems to have been oter
looked or probably entirely forgotter.
One of them was apple butter boiling and
the other was flannel kicking Talk about
the fun they had at apple cuttings, corn
huskings, cuttings, etc, but for genuine.
uproarious fun flannel kicking would
knock them all ont in one round. Every
new house had its old one, which was left
standing, generally in close proximity to
the new, which was used for all manner
of purposes. The old fashione loom,
which almost every thrifty farmer pos
sessed, was set up there. The big broad
fireplace, S or 6 feet wide, with its big
crane on which 10 hang heavy kettles and
pots, was always in order and was used
when boiling the apple butter, large
copper kettle always being used for the
purpose But few families could afford
the luxury OF a large copper kettle, conse-
quently one served large neighborhood,
going the rounds every apple butter sea
son.
BOILING APPLE BUTTER.
The log house was usually but one
large room. 1t took two couples to boil
apple butter-always two fellows with
their best girls. 1t required constant stir
ring, which was usually done with
board about 5 inches wide by
about , feet long, with holes bored
through it and handle about feet long,
so that the fellow and his best girl could
handle it easily While they stirred the
otherrouple were having most delight
full time off in one corner of the room,
there being no light except a dim, relig
iOus one from the fire. OF course they
changed places quite frequently, for the
couple at the handle could not endure
that kind of thing for any length of time,
knowing what a high old time the other
couple We're having away of i'll the cor
ner. They were being deprived Of their
opportunities This thing usually lasted
all night, and as rule the little party
were not interrupted by meddlers, and
they had blissful season free from the
rude gaze of any one.
But the crowning glory, the boss fun.
was the flannel kicking. As have before
stated, almost every old house had its
loom, on which the women wOve fannels
--linsey wOolsey, casinets aud linen.
sigh for the days when used to wear this
home made linen. Pillow slips sheets
shirts, pants and short tailed roundabouts
all made off the same piece Of goods.
There were no long tailed summer coats
III those days This linen was stout and
if boy or even good sized man caught
the seat of his pants on a splinter in climb
ing rail fence or on nail he hung there.
1t would hold him every time.
The flannel was usually woven in
webs. or pieces of so or 40 yards, and Of
course ii had to he fulled before it was in
proper condition TO be made up into gar
ments. FuliinC mills were Il thing almost
Rnheard of in that country at that
time, and some way must be devised to
thicken up or full the flannel, and they
did it TO perfection. | have attended
many kicking" and my recollection of
them is as vivid as if it had occurred hut
year ago.